Chapter 3: Navigating Unintended Consequences
Leon slumped into his chair like a man defeated by paperwork. Which, in a way, he was. Except instead of paper, it was a stack of unintended android-related consequences piling higher than a noble's ego.
The window was open. The breeze was gentle. Birds were chirping.
It was the perfect setting… for a migraine.
Before him stood four sleek, expressionless androids: Unit-210, Unit-B2, Unit-A4, and Unit-60.
Their blank stares didn't help his nerves.
"So let me get this straight," Leon began, rubbing his temples, "we've somehow managed to entangle ourselves with every single member of Prince Julius's elite posse… without even trying?"
Unit-B2 stepped forward like a soldier reporting to her superior, because… well, she was.
"Affirmative. During a dungeon support mission, I encountered Greg Fou Seberg. He was... not faring well."
Leon raised a brow. "He almost died?"
"Objectively speaking, yes. I eliminated the threat with minimal effort. Greg has since requested multiple sparring sessions."
"So, he's a meathead with a crush. Great," Leon muttered. "Next."
Unit-A4 stepped up, as stoic as a rock.
"While performing sword-form simulations at the Academy Training Grounds, my movements drew the attention of a Kingdom swordsmanship instructor. He summoned Chris Fia Arclight for joint training. The noble has taken interest in replicating my form."
Leon frowned. "So now he's obsessed with learning your 'secret moves'?"
"Correct. He regularly requests combat feedback. Most of it... incorrect."
"Wonderful. We're building fanclubs." Leon waved a hand. "Next."
Unit-60 took a step forward and adjusted her glasses. She did not need them. She just thought it gave her a more scholarly aesthetic. Leon did not argue—it was cute.
"Upon entering the Royal Library, I required orientation with their outdated, unindexed catalog system. Brad Fou Field offered assistance. Since then, he has regularly initiated unsolicited contact. He now refers to me as his 'study buddy.'"
Leon gave her a blank stare. "Did you correct him?"
"I attempted to. He responded with a smile and a pun about 'checking me out like a book.'"
There was a long pause.
"…I'm going to kill him," Leon muttered.
"Please refrain," Unit-60 replied politely.
Leon groaned and slumped further into his chair, contemplating the nearest available window to throw himself out of. White, ever the pillar of deadpan calm, finally spoke.
"Commander, had you used Type-S infiltration units as I originally advised, these complications could have been avoided."
Leon gave her a flat look. "White, Type-S models look like centerfold idols from a mech enthusiast's fever dream. Do you want to cause a schoolwide uprising? Or a harem war?"
White tilted her head. "I fail to see the issue."
"Of course you don't," Leon muttered. "Okay—damage control. B2, reduce your dungeon sparring. Fake a back injury if you have to."
"Understood," B2 said.
"A4, if Chris asks to see your technique again, tell him you're training in a 'mystic style only taught once every lunar eclipse.'"
"That may not be statistically consistent with current lunar cycles."
"Exactly."
Unit-A4 blinked. Once.
"Understood."
Leon pointed to 60. "You—library visits only when he's not there. Pretend you're allergic to flirting."
"I am now."
"And 210…" Leon sighed. "What's your report?"
"Earlier this week, an unidentified woman attempted to intercept Prince Julius before Olivia could approach. Per my directive to maintain the flow of primary romantic flags, I neutralized the interloper."
Leon blinked. "Neutralized how?"
"Restrained. Then extracted by Unit A4 to a remote location. She is unharmed. Slightly confused."
There was a long pause.
Leon rubbed his eyes. "Please don't tell me you said something weird to cover your tracks."
"Prince Julius approached during the commotion. I told him I was venting my frustration and had anger management issues."
Leon stared. "You what?"
"He offered to walk me to the auditorium."
Leon slammed his head on the desk.
"I declined. I told him he needed alone time."
"You accidentally flirted with the prince, didn't you?"
"I was being polite."
"You kidnapped someone and faked a mental breakdown!"
"Successfully."
Leon groaned into the desk. White, of course, chimed in again.
"This entire chain of events could have been avoided if the Commander had not insisted on personally customizing their base personalities for 'flavor.'"
"I wanted character, not social chaos!" Leon snapped.
B2, A4, and 60 then knelt in unison.
"Apologies, Commander," they said in perfect sync.
"Apologies? I should be knighting you for accidentally breaking the route flags!"
White stepped forward. "Shall I prepare for a memory reset and unit rotation?"
Leon froze.
"No! Julius is already take interested in her. If we swap 210 out now, he'll start searching for her and probably make commotion after . We can't risk that."
"…Then what is your directive?" White asked.
Leon looked at his girls. His accidental harem.
"Damage control. We're going to fix this. Slowly. Carefully. Subtly we need to make new romantic route for julius to olivia, 210 make connection with olivia and try subtly push her and julius together ."
"And if that fails?"
Leon glanced at the ceiling. "Then we fake a kidnapping and blame it on sky pirates and we still have 4 more route for Olivia."
"If all route fail we take thing on our hand."
End of Chapter
Let me know if you'd like this tone to carry into future chapters too!
